Second Departure
by catharsys
Summary: He left her once, and he returned... He left her once more, but will he ever come back? // KenKao // Oneshot


**DISCLAIMER:** Nope, not mine. They're Mr. Nobuhiro Watsuki's. Kudos to him and his great mind for giving us our beloved Rurouni Kenshin!

**SUMMARY:** He left her once, and he returned… He left her once more, but will he ever come back? KenKao One-Shot

**A/N:** My first RK fic. Here are some notes I think you ought to know before reading:

/This happened after the "Shishio events". Say, seven or eight months after.

/Kenshin keeps a journal. (Unlikely, huh? It's VERY necessary.)

/Forget the Seisou Hen and Jinchuu arc (from the manga) for a while.

/Keep an eye for the dates and time. You might get confused.

/Words in italics are thoughts and writings.

/Bold and italicized dates are from the PAST.

/What else? Hmmm… That's about it! Here goes…

* * *

**SECOND DEPARTURE**

**SEPTEMBER 1**

**Afternoon**

She sat on the porch in reverie. It has been two months now. She remembered it like it was the only memory she had in her seventeen years of living. She tried her best to hold her tears back but they disobeyed. Her cheeks were wet with tears of sorrow, of unbearable pain, of regret. In her hand, a piece of paper slightly torn and crumpled with blots of dried blood…

* * *

_**JUNE 24**_

_**Night**_

"Kenshin!" Kaoru's voice rang out all over the house. She's been looking for him for minutes now. "Kenshin! Where are you?"

"Hey, ugly! Will you keep it down? I'm trying to have a peaceful sleep here!" Yahiko said emerging from his room.

Kaoru decided to ignore his comments, "Have you seen Kenshin?"

"You're thicker than I thought, Kaoru," a smirk playing on Yahiko's face. "How do you think will I see him if I just woke up now because of your horribly loud voice?"

Kaoru, again, chose to ignore Yahiko's mockery and walked away.

_Not fighting with me, eh? What's wrong with her?_ He shrugged the idea off and went back to sleep.

_It's almost midnight and I haven't seen him yet. Where could he be? Market? Baka. He wouldn't spend that much time in the market. And it's midnight for goodness' sake! Baka. At Sano's place? No, he has nothing to do there. At Megumi's clinic? No! He can't be there! But… Kenshin, where are you?_ Slowly, Kaoru's sight began to lose it's colors. She couldn't keep her eyelids open any longer. Seconds later she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**_JUNE 27_**

_**Morning**_

"Kaoru, has Kenshin arrived?" Yahiko questioned his sensei.

"You're slower than I though Yahiko. If Kenshin has arrived, I wouldn't be… I wouldn't be…" Kaoru broke off. She can't hide her feelings. Sobbing took over her again. It was almost three days and Kenshin has not yet returned from where ever he went. Yahiko, not being used to comforting other people, did nothing but whispered, "Kaoru."

"I'm so worried, Yahiko. Where is he? Why didn't he say anything? What if something bad happened?" Kaoru managed to say in between her sobs, "We need to find him! What if he returned to being a rurouni again?"

Kaoru's last words caught Yahiko off guard. _What if he returned to being a rurouni again? A rurouni again? A rurouni… _

"No!" he shouted in protest, "He can't go wandering off again! He can't leave us…" He paused. _But he just did, right? He left and didn't say a word. _Said the voice in Yahiko's head. _He won't do such thing! This is his home! Kenshin? You won't do that, right? You're like a brother to me now. And what about Kaoru? Kenshin… _The sensei and deshi sat in dead silence. Kaoru's crying started to fade. The questions in Yahiko's mind rumbled like mad.

* * *

_**JUNE 28**_

_**Morning**_

Yahiko went to the market, leaving Kaoru alone in the house. She heard a knock on the door. Kaoru rushed to open it, "Ken—" An ordinary looking man stood in front of her.

"Kamiya Kaoru," he said, handing her a letter. Kaoru thanked the man and he left. She stared at the envelop. _Kamiya Kaoru _it read. _The handwriting looks awful… It's from Kenshin!_ She dashed to her room and excitedly and nervously tore the letter open.

_Kaoru,_

_I may be in Edo by the time you're reading this letter. I am truly sorry I left without letting you know. I received a letter from Yukishiro Enishi, Tomoe's brother. You know who he is, don't you? I left to see him. You are aware of my past and I do wish you'd understand. Please forgive me if I made you worry or if I have caused any troubles. I will see you soon._

_Kenshin

* * *

_

_**JUNE 28 **_

_**Afternoon**_

Sano and Yahiko were standing by the dojo entrance. They watched Kaoru swung her wooden sword with all the strength she could muster. Her knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip. Sweat started to wet her forehead and neck. Eyes steady and determined, and…furious? She couldn't understand why she was so angry at Kenshin after reading his letter. _He could've at least said something! It's not like I wouldn't allow him to go! _But of course, her anger can never take over her love and compassion for him. She was raging with fury yet inside; her heart was in tears, worries and longing.

"Yahiko, I'd advise you not to practice with her," Sano said, not taking his eyes of Kaoru.

"Even if you don't tell me that, I'd still not practice today. Just look at her. She's been like that since this morning. I saw her reading a letter, but I don't know what it said. She wouldn't let me read it. I have strong feeling it was from Kenshin," Yahiko replied, dumbfounded as Sano.

"Kenshin caused this? Since when did Kaoru get mad at him? By the way, where is that Kenshin! He's still not here! If I find out that he went to fight off some weirdos trying to rule over Japan again or something, I won't forgive him! He should've let me join him!"

"Yeah. Kaoru's worried sick!"

"I know. But she shouldn't be."

"Huh?"

"Yahiko, you dolt. It's Kenshin we're talking about here! The known Hitokiri Battousai who wandered off for ten years, who defeated almost all of the lunatic swordsmen, and still managed to keep himself alive. He can take care o himself."

"Yeah I guess so."

"And since you won't practice, why don't you just get me something to eat? I'm starving here!"

"What?"

"Just do it little boy."

"Little boy? Why you, rooster-head…!"

* * *

_**JULY 1**_

_**Noon**_

"Miss Kaoru Kamiya," the policeman at the doorstep said, handing Kaoru a folded piece of paper with stains of what seem to be…blood. Kaoru's heart began to race but she decided to let the policeman continue talking. "We found that on Mr. Kenshin Himura's clothes this morning. A resident saw his lifeless body in front of an old temple in Edo with this," the man gave her Kenshin's broken Sakabatou, "the police are still…" but Kaoru need not to hear anything further. Her heart wildly hammering her chest… Whole body trembling… Lungs fighting for steady breathing… Tears flooding her eyes… Her knees can't support her weight anymore… Everything in sight went blurry, then darkness… _"Miss Kamiya... Kaoru... Kaoru!" _Fading voices from two or three men…

* * *

**SEPTEMBER 1**

**Afternoon**

She sat on the porch in reverie. It has been two months now. She remembered it like it was the only memory she had in her seventeen years of living. She tried her best to hold her tears back but they disobeyed. Her cheeks were wet with tears of sorrow, of unbearable pain, of regret. In her hand, a piece of paper slightly torn and crumpled with blots of dried blood. Kaoru looked down on it and pressed it to smoothen. More tears rained down from her blue orbs as she reread what it said,

_JULY 1_

_Today, I'm going to tell Kaoru I love her.

* * *

_

**A/N:** So, what do you think? Questions? Confused? Ask and thou shall be answered! By the way, can anybody tell me what "de gozaru yo" means? whacks head


End file.
